Question

According to the endosymbiotic theory and given the tree below, which was constructed from whole genome sequences or exemplar organisms from the three domains of life, where would be the most likely place for a branch containing the animal mitochondrial genome be connected? in other words, animal mitochondrial dna is most closely related to the complete genome of which type of organism?

Answer 1

Animal mitochondrial DNA is most closely related to the genome of bacteria. It is supposed that early eukaryotes engulfed bacteria according to endosybiotic theory. In bacteria there is no special organ like nucleus to hold the genome. In mitochondria also such genome can be seen.